Despite its rocky reception and underwhelming box office performance back in 2017,Tom Cruise’sThe Mummyis enjoying a surprising resurgence on Peacock. The movie, which famously holds adismal 15% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, currently sits at #4 on the streaming platform’s rankings. This unexpected success showcases that, despite its flaws, the film has found new life among streaming audiences.
Directed byAlex Kurtzman,The Mummywas initially designed to kick off Universal’s ambitious “Dark Universe” franchise, aimed at reviving the studio’s iconic monster movies for a modern audience. However, the film’s mixed reviews and tepid box office returns, grossing $409 million globally on a budget of $125–$195 million, led to the collapse of those grand plans. Critics took issue with the film’s uneven tone, convoluted plot, and its over-reliance on action sequences over horror elements, while some praised Cruise’sdedication to his stuntsandSofia Boutella’sportrayal of the title character. Now, six years later,The Mummyseems to have found a second wind, perhaps thanks to the curiosity of viewers who missed it in theatres or are discovering it with lowered expectations.
What Was ‘The Dark Universe’?
TheDark Universewas Universal Pictures' ambitious but short-lived attempt to create a shared cinematic universe, much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring its classic monsters. The idea was to revive iconic horror characters such as Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Invisible Man, and the Mummy, uniting them in a series of interconnected films.
The Dark Universeofficially launched with the release ofThe Mummyin 2017, starring Cruise, Boutella, andRussell Crowe. This film was intended to be the cornerstone of the universe, with Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character serving as a connective tissue between future films. Universal had big plans, announcing a star-studded lineup that includedJohnny Deppas the Invisible Man andJavier Bardemas Frankenstein’s Monster. They even created a logo and assembled a high-profile team of writers and producers, including Kurtzman andChris Morgan.However, afterThe Mummywas critically pannedand underperformed at the box office, Universal put the Dark Universeon indefinite hold.
WhileThe Mummymay not have been the franchise-launching hit that Universal had hoped for, its current popularity on Peacock shows that sometimes even critically panned films can find their place—and audience—over time. Stay tuned to see ifThe Mummycontinues to climb the streaming charts and experience this monster-filled action romp for yourself on Peacock.
An ancient Egyptian princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia and terrors that defy human comprehension.
